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Definition of california quail
california quail
Plural:California quails
• noun
1
North American A small, highly sociable, ground-dwelling game bird native to the western United States and Baja California, distinguished by a curving, teardrop-shaped head plume and a heavily scaled belly pattern.
Example
"While hiking through the coastal chaparral, we spotted a covey of California quail scurrying quickly into the brush."
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of California quail. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/california-quail